Not Yet
by A. Zap
Summary: Catra decides it's time to say goodbye but Adora's not accepting it. Not yet. Sequel to "Time to Say Goodbye."


Adora was screaming.

_No, no, no, no! I can't let this happen! This isn't - _

Catra had fallen limp beneath her fingertips. Adora didn't think she was even breathing anymore.

One of her hands jumped up to Catra's neck, the clawed hand underneath falling away to the ground. She didn't pay it any mind though as she concentrated on feeling for Catra's pulse.

_I can't let this happen!_

There! It was weak, oh so weak, but it was still there.

She could fix this.

Adora had never wanted to hurt Catra.

True, it turned out that she had hurt her a lot more than she had ever imagined in the past, but even though they were now enemies, she still didn't want to hurt Catra. It wasn't like it was completely avoidable, as both she and Catra often walked away with wounds and injuries when they encountered each other on the battlefield, but…

But not like this. Never like this.

Adora hadn't meant to hurt Catra like this.

They'd been fighting as usual, She-ra versus Catra, in these ruins. Catra pouncing and whirling around She-ra's strikes, deftly avoiding her blade. Adora putting her strength as She-ra behind every blow, hoping to that she could land a defining blow that would incapacitate Catra for the rest of the battle.

Well, she'd certainly landed one.

Adora had been aiming to graze Catra's side, hopefully aggravating her enough to retreat and give Adora some time to think of a way to end this. A shell from a canon had landed a bit too close for comfort though, and at the last moment, startled by the sound, Adora flinched.

And her blade had plunged right into Catra's stomach.

She could still see how Catra's eyes had widened in shock.

At first, she thought that maybe things weren't as bad as she thought they were. As soon as Adora pulled the sword out on reflex, Catra had scampered away. She was gone in an instant, in spite of her injuries. Adora had almost deluded herself that she hadn't done what she did, even as she followed the steadily growing blood trail.

Finding Catra collapsed against a random wall had shattered any illusions she'd maintained.

And now, Catra was dying, lying limp and broken and still on the ground.

Adora had killed her.

"_We both knew that this was how it was going to end."_

Adora clenched her jaw and ignored the tears running down her cheeks.

"No."

She couldn't accept this.

She took her hand off Catra's fading pulse and reached back to grab her sword.

"I will not let this happen."

According to the legends, She-ra was both a great warrior and a great healer.

"I will fix this."

Her body moved like it knew how to achieve her purpose, without thought and without hesitation.

"This is not the end."

She let go of Catra and stood before her, the Sword of Protection held in front of her face. For a moment, she stared at Catra's blood staining the blade.

"It's not - " Her voice finally broke. "It's not yet time to say goodbye, Catra."

Catra had never really told her goodbye and meant it. Adora wasn't going to let it mean something now as a final farewell.

Adora had never wanted to hurt Catra, she had always wished to protect her. She wanted to save her, even now, though she knows that Catra would refuse just out of spite.

She had never really been good at protecting her; her attempts at saving her had never been truly successful.

Not this time.

This time, Adora would save Catra.

"For the Honor of Grayskull!"

Adora became She-ra, shining with a brilliant light.

And then, on instinct, she shared that light with Catra, infusing her former friend with it. As she watched, the wound faded and Catra took a gasping breath.

Catra's eyes creaked open, alive, oh so alive and bright, and Adora smiled.

She had saved her.

They may stand on opposite sides, but it wasn't time for them to truly say goodbye. Not yet.

And for now, that was enough.

* * *

_AN: "Time to Say Goodbye" was kind of ambiguous, though I mentioned my preferences as to which ending that ultimately resulted in. So this is the sequel where Adora fixes things and saves Catra. I mean, I feel like this or a similar circumstance could be the thing to unlock She-ra's supposed healing abilities, but I guess we'll see._

_Later Note: I still can't believe that in canon Adora unlocked her healing ability for SW of all people._


End file.
